


this time

by jeonghangel



Category: SEVENTEEN (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Coffee Shops, M/M, Memory Loss, Mind Reading, Polyamory, Reincarnation
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-11
Updated: 2019-07-11
Packaged: 2020-06-26 05:26:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,360
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19761517
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jeonghangel/pseuds/jeonghangel
Summary: one remembers too little, one remembers too much, and one is in between.





	this time

**Author's Note:**

> hey its been awhile since i actually finished anything! and look this time its not jihan or junhan i am breaking my own mold... 95 line is actually my fave ship but ive never trusted myself to properly characterize seungcheol so im just giving it a shot!
> 
> just a psa this fic doesn't have any actual written romance it's just hinted at and i will tell u that they definitely start dating after this takes place.

Seungcheol had just grabbed his iced coffee from the barista when he started hearing them. They were quiet at first, but grew louder by the second. He stepped away from the counter and walked to the middle of the Starbucks, holding his fingers to his temple in hopes to ease the sudden pain.

This was unusual. Seungcheol had learned how to tune the voices out, push them to the back of his thoughts until they were just white noise. These were loud and bustling at the forefront of his mind, to the point where his head was throbbing and he couldn’t focus on the outside world. He looked around the shop in concealed frenzy, breath held. Nobody thought this loudly, this many things at once, it was overwhelming. 

It ended abruptly as he made eye contact with a man seated against the front wall, legs crossed and sipping at what seemed to be hot chocolate. The sounds in Seungcheol’s mind became background music to his own thoughts once again. But then he realized, even when he focused, Seungcheol could not hear the other man.

The stranger had not yet broken eye contact, staring at Seungcheol with a blank expression, head slightly tilted left, as if waiting for the other to approach him. And so Seungcheol did, walking up to him with a warm smile and thinking of something to say. Making small talk with strangers in Starbucks wasn’t exactly common.

It turned out he didn’t have to, as right when he reached the man’s table, the other began speaking. “Seungcheol, is it?” He asked. Seungcheol was caught off guard, eyebrows raised. The stranger’s lips turned up in amusement. “It’s written on your cup,” He explained, “you haven’t thought it yet.” Seungcheol laughed, although he couldn’t help but question if what he implied in the second half was intentional.

“Didn’t think about that.” He grinned feeling comfortable enough to take a seat across from the man. The other’s hair was a pale blonde, side parted above a pair of soft brown eyes. Seungcheol’s first thought at the sight of him up close was a simple ‘ _ ethereal _ ’. The stranger’s eyes crinkled at the corners, as if he knew something Seungcheol didn’t. Seungcheol decided to go for it. “What did you mean by ‘you haven’t thought it yet’?”

The stranger chuckled. “Ah, you must think I’m crazy.” No, Seungcheol hadn’t, but before he could reassure the other, he continued. “It’s alright, everyone does.” He smiled, holding up his right wrist, nodding towards it. There was a blue wristband wrapped around it, a small picture of the stranger next to the insignia of the local hospital, print underneath it reading ‘Psychiatric Ward’ in large letters. “Maybe I am…” He sighed, but not unhappily, and lowered his arm.

“Oh… I’m sorry.” Seungcheol sounded unsure. He didn’t know whether that was something worthy of pity or not, the man didn’t sound upset about it. Admitting to being a psych patient so confidently was strange.

“Don’t worry, I won’t be going back.” Seungcheol decided to not think much into that statement.

“We shouldn’t waste too much time on small talk, I’ve been around for far too long to wait any longer.” Seungcheol was left flustered and confused. For one, the stranger didn’t look any older than him, perhaps even younger. Secondly, was he hitting on him? What time were they wasting? What did the stranger have in mind?

“I don’t want to fuck you, not any time soon at least, and I’m twenty three, although people say I have an old soul.” He said it with that same look on his face, as if he was making a joke only he understood. And then it hit Seungcheol that he hadn’t spoke his questions aloud.

“Aha! So you  _ can  _ read thoughts!” Seungcheol didn’t know why he was so proud of figuring it out, it wasn’t as if the other had been subtle.

“Took you long enough, we should go find the other, he’s probably a ways away by now.” The mind-reader rolled his eyes, but a fond expression graced his features as well.

“What do you mean? What other?” Seungcheol queried, the other’s train of thought seemed to be moving at twice the speed of his, leaving Seungcheol puzzled in the dust.

“I’m not sure who yet, but they were just close. Didn’t you hear?” The man started to appear more restless, less laid back.

“Was that what…” Seungcheol trailed off as the other nodded affirmatively.

“If you thought it was hell hearing the thoughts of someone else who can read minds, try hearing the thoughts of someone who can read minds hearing the thoughts of another person who can read minds. Worst headache of my life.”

Seungcheol’s eyes widened, glancing around the near empty Starbucks to make sure no one heard him say that. “How did you stop it?”

“I didn’t, they left.” He answered, pulling himself out of his seat. “Any other questions you’re asking on the way. I’m not letting him go again.”

“I don’t even know your name!” Seungcheol argued, but stood up to follow the man walking out of the store, iced coffee in hand.

“Yoon Jeonghan.”

Seungcheol trailed Jeonghan out of Starbucks, the blond man far ahead of him. Seeing the other man’s clothing, Seungcheol was suddenly overwhelmed with self consciousness. Jeonghan only wore black jeans with a white turtleneck and beige coat, but the way he wore it made it seem as if it belonged on a runway. Seungcheol wasn’t necessarily underdressed in his jeans and sweater-

“You’re thinking too loudly, stop. I think your sweater’s cute.” Jeonghan cut off his train of thought, smiling softly as Seungcheol blushed.

Seungcheol had finally caught up with him, and they were walking side-by-side down the street. He had no idea where they were headed, but Jeonghan seemed to and Seungcheol wasn’t one to protest.

“Why can you hear my thoughts but I can’t hear yours?”

“Because I closed my thoughts off to you. It’s simple really, just takes practice.” Jeonghan answered, glancing both ways as the two crossed a street, Seungcheol too distracted looking at the younger curiously.

“Where are we going?” Seungcheol asked.

“Didn’t I already answer this… We’re finding the last one; he needs help.”

“The last one…?” He trailed off, as the other’s response didn’t make much sense.

“You’ll see… You can hear him again, right?”

Seungcheol was, indeed, beginning to hear the loud swarm of thoughts from back in the cafe.

“This way, we’re almost there.” Jeonghan grabbed his wrist, hand warm to the touch, and pulled him towards the local park.

Seungcheol checked his surroundings out as the two entered. It was nearly empty, the white noise in his head almost disappearing due to the lack of people around. Then he heard it: The intense thunderstorm of thoughts growing louder by the second as Jeonghan pulled him towards the playground deep into the park. Seungcheol suppressed a groan of pain and the urge to place his hands on his temples, but was unable to focus on anything else.

And then, Jeonghan stopped abruptly. Seungcheol looked up at a small playground, only a few platforms and two slides. On top of the tallest platform (still only about 10 feet tall), was a boy. His head was in between his legs and he was turned away from them, back shaking with sobs. Seungcheol, concerned, moved towards him, momentarily forgetting about the cacophony of voices giving him a headache. But before he could move anywhere, Jeonghan grabbed his hand gently.

“Wait, let me…” he picked Seungcheol’s other hand up too, holding them in between his own. “I can help, but only if you try too.”

Seungcheol looked at him silently, confused. “The really loud thoughts.” Jeonghan continued. “Just try to make them go away and I’ll help.” He smiled reassuringly.

So Seungcheol did, willing them to disappear the same way he turned the normal ones he heard throughout his average day into white noise. After just seconds, it started fading to the back of his mind, quieter. While it still wasn’t what it usually was, he no longer felt like screaming. Jeonghan soon released his hands and took off, pulling the older boy behind him up the shoddy rubber stairs to the platform.

Their feet thudded against the material and the boy was quickly made aware of their presence, whipping around suddenly and attempting to collect himself. He had light brown hair complimenting large cat-like eyes and full lips. Seungcheol was beginning to wonder how many pretty boys he could meet in one day.

“Joshua.” Jeonghan spoke as if he had said the name a million times before. 

“You know him?!” Seungcheol raised his eyebrows at Jeonghan, surprised.

The boy, newly recognized as Joshua, didn’t even flinch. “Maybe, probably. I kind of don’t remember shit.”

Jeonghan, however, shook his head at Seungcheol’s question. “I don’t know him here as much as I didn’t know you before the cafe.”  _ Another cryptic answer, honestly what was Seungcheol expecting at this point? _

Joshua stared at the two, confused. “So, neither of you guys know me?” 

Seungcheol shook his head in response, gesturing to Jeonghan. “I met him like an hour ago and he dragged me here.” Jeonghan just rolled his eyes at the pair.

“Well for all I know we could be the best of friends. I can’t remember anything past a few hours ago.” Their new acquaintance sniffled pathetically, eyes still bloodshot.

“Well not anything, you still know how to talk.” Jeonghan corrected him. Seungcheol glared at his companion and thought ‘ _ not the time’  _ as loud as he could, knowing the other would hear it.

Joshua just laughed. “Yeah, I suppose. I still remember basic things, how to talk, walk, the way the world works, but nothing personal, not even where I live. Apparently I’ve even forgotten stranger danger considering I’m spilling my entire two hour life story to people I don’t even know.” Seungcheol giggled at that.

“So you don’t even know who you are?” Jeonghan questioned.

“Not really, no. All I remember is that my name is Joshua.” He chuckled, although there was little humor in his voice. “My first memory is standing in the middle of a sidewalk downtown a little while ago. God, everything was so loud, people everywhere. I remembered the directions to this park that I knew to be quiet and pretty isolated so I just started heading here, like I was on autopilot.”

“Loud? What kind of loud?” Seungcheol inquired.

“This is gonna sound crazy but… It was a lot of thoughts… Too many everywhere that I couldn’t discern from one another. People weren’t talking but I could still hear their voices.”

“You can read minds too?!” Seungcheol asked, shocked. He had gone from thinking he was the only person with this ability to being one of three in just a day.

“ _ Too _ ? You hear people’s thoughts as well?” Joshua’s eyebrows raised in surprise. “Is this a normal thing that I just forgot?”

Jeonghan smiled. “No, it’s just us as far as I’ve seen… At least this time.”

_ Another strange addition to his sentences…  _ Seungcheol expected them by now.

“Ah, both of you? Is it this overwhelming for you guys too?” The smaller boy says lightheartedly, but his eyes were full of fear and a bit of hope.

“Not for me, and usually not for him either. It just takes time to get used to.” Jeonghan offers his hand to help Joshua up as he talks.

The three were now all standing on top of the playground, and it was almost eerie how identical in height they were.

“Oh.” Joshua says simply, unsure of how to respond.

After a moment of silence, Jeonghan continues the conversation. “Look, you have nowhere to go, right?” Joshua nods. “And Seungcheol here,” Jeonghan gestures at the elder. “just arrived from Daegu this morning and hasn’t found a place to stay permanently yet.” Seungcheol realized two things while Jeonghan spoke: that the two hadn’t introduced themselves to Joshua and also that he had never told Jeonghan any of that information. However, Seungcheol remained silent as Jeonghan continued speaking. “So if you guys maybe, uh- wanna stay at my place. My apartment’s big enough for a few people, there’s a guest room and I can sleep on the couch…” He trailed off and Seungcheol, despite only knowing him an hour, could tell he was uncharacteristically flustered.

“Dude, I don’t even know your name. How do we know you aren’t some serial killer or something?” Joshua butts in, accusing glare focused on Jeonghan.

“First of all, it’s Jeonghan, Yoon Jeonghan. Secondly, I don’t have any way to prove it to you. I- I just need you to trust me. Please… Every time we never all meet at once. We’re always close but never make it. This is the first time and I can’t… I can’t just not do anything about it.” Jeonghan sounds slightly desperate, contrasting his near-blank expression, almost as if he had accepted failure.

Joshua sighed, shrugging as if he had given up. “I mean, I don’t even have a life now, so I’ve got nothing to lose. Show me the way to your apartment.” 

That seemed to cheer Jeonghan up a bit, a small smile appearing on his face as he turned to Seungcheol, anticipating an answer.

Seungcheol pondered the idea for a bit before coming to a conclusion. “Okay, I’ll go. But you have to promise you’ll teach me how to stop you from reading my thoughts.” Jeonghan laughed at that, a loud and slightly awkward sound, not matching the elegant and all-knowing aura surrounding him.

“C’mon, my place is a few blocks this way.” Jeonghan motions to the left, out of the park, and starts walking. Joshua jogs to catch up with him while Seungcheol follows closely behind the two.

_ This seems oddly perfect, almost like the universe planned it.  _ Seungcheol thinks to himself.

It’s just seconds before he hears Jeonghan’s voice in his own head.  _ Hey, it wasn’t all the universe! Don’t discredit my hard work!  _

Seungcheol laughs, speeding up slightly to join the other two boys.

**Author's Note:**

> well that's all i doubt ill continue it but one day i might.
> 
> also just an explanation because personally i hate when people write confusing stuff and don't explain it and i don't know if this is confusing: 95 line are soulmates and jeonghan remembers all his past lives while seungcheol only remembers his current one and joshua was reincarnated as someone already living and in every past life they never all meet at once so yeah... took them long enough...
> 
> anyway thank u for reading please leave comments and kudos if u want!


End file.
